Where We Stand Together
by LeighRichards
Summary: Teenager Anya Martinez was saved by Clark Kent, and he became her hero. But then she ran away to Gotham and got into trouble no one knows about. Now at twenty-seven, she's dancing in the arms of Bruce Wayne, who knows more about her than he should. Can Batman and Superman save her before a certain villain does? Couples: Batman/OC, Superman/Wonder Woman, Barry Allen/Jessica Cruz
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is my first fanfic. My original character is a Hispanic young adult woman whose presence in this original DC comics story is a fresh start for fanfiction. I just believe characters of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds deserve their own chances in the spotlight. Enjoy!

I do not own any DC characters. I only own Anya Martinez.

 **Where We Stand Together**

Chapter 1 The beginning

"I'll think about it," I mumble under my breath. I know my voice must sound evil on the account of being pestered for the eighth time today. This woman knows how to push my buttons; she knows exactly what she's doing. But not this time. I will not give into her insanity and complaints.

"What's to think about, Anya? It's a charity-dinner-ball thing. Rich men will be there. Isn't that enough to convince you?" Jessica Cruz's voice sings with fantasy and imagination. She's my roommate, my best friend, and my crime-fighting partner. "And plus, I'm tired of being cooped up in here with nothing to do since Martian Manhunter has taken over mission assignments and has to make it "fair" for other heroes to fight. Well…we shouldn't have to be stuck inside every night while others get to have fun! Oh dios mio!" (Oh my God!)

Her last relationship ended just four months ago, when Simon Baz insisted he focus on his own life alone. John Stewart, the father figure Jessica looked up to since the green lantern ring chose her, forced Jessica to move to Gotham city for a fresh start…mostly just to get over Simon, I believe. It had worked out for both John and Jessica, since Jessica's been "man hungry" ever since her confidence hit the roof.

I raise my knees up to my chest and sip the hot chocolate she made for us. Sitting on the ledge of our balcony, my eyes zero in on Gotham's dark clouds; covering every inch of sunlight to hide. No wonder Gotham's criminal and suicide rates are sky-high. Who in their right mind would live here?

My biological parents predicted their deaths here. True to their word, I became an orphan at the crucial age of sixteen-years-old. Nobody wanted me. If you were a teenager, would anyone want you? Nobody wanted teenagers; only newborn babies.

It was more than a dark time. I had no other relatives since the only people I truly knew were my parents: my mother, an alcoholic, exotic dancer, and my father, a highly-paid assassin. Well, my father's job eventually got the best of our family, and he made one client angry as hell and shot my parents in a drive-by shooting.

Of course, they did not die in front of me. I had just come back from buying pizza for our dinner and stood among the other citizens and police officers in Gotham.

I had to run away. I knew no one would want me. I wasn't a trouble maker or anything, but the fact is, I'm a homemade product of a slutty mother and a murderer father. I'm considered bad news, I swear.

I ran for most of the nights. Hitched rides wherever I could find shelter, food, and protection from the cops. I became a thief, even though I had to erase most from my conscience just because I was starving.

Two weeks of living on my own, I found myself in Metropolis. I made a little home for myself outside of the Daily Planet (mostly just two big cardboards and two trash cans), and picked up loose dollar bills and change just to get by.

A quarter rolled and rolled around the sidewalk. Hearing the coin made instant contact with concrete ground made my eyes huge and my heart beat super-fast. I scrambled onto my hands and knees to capture the coin before it would disappear or be taken. My hand quickly slammed on the quarter, and I felt an instant feeling of relief. But it didn't go unnoticed. To the citizens in Metropolis, I was a dirty, poor rat capturing a quarter.

Two individuals stared at me, while others whispered and pointed at me as if I was a diseased, monster.

The man who was just staring, alongside a dark haired brunette who looked at me like I was a headline for the news today, kneeled in front of me; he was clearly not afraid of me.

I didn't know this man but he didn't look threatening, but I kept my guard up anyway. His dark hair was combed back, and he had thick black framed glasses. What made my heart pound the most was striking, icy blue eyes and the way he smelled…good. Really good…

"Are you okay?" he asked, a little louder than what he intended to, I think. I immediately come down back to Earth when I suddenly realized, he must have asked me that more than once.

"I-I'm fine," I quickly answer. I scoot backwards to get away from him, from everyone.

"I can help you," he speaks again. The kindness and seriousness in his voice traps me. "You shouldn't be living out here by yourself. I can help you. You can trust me."

The cloud moves away from the sun. A bright, golden light shines down on the man in front of me. My instinct tells me to trust him, but my heart has doubts.

His hand moves towards me. He wants me to grab it. He grins; his grin is hypnotizing, flattering, and handsome. "My name's Clark Kent."

My hand reaches his strong, protective grip. "Anya Martinez."

That was eleven years ago, and things have changed drastically since then. Clark's marriage to Lois Lane ended. I blame myself, since my presence there made Clark over-protective and insanely involved in my life. Once I turned twenty-two, I left Metropolis in search for my own identity.

It happened one night when I was in a rebellious phase. I just had to get out of Clark's life even though he begged me not to leave him. I know I hurt him in a way, since all he has is Jon, who basically goes back and forth between him and Lois. Jon didn't want me to leave either, since I've taken the role of being a big sister quite seriously. But this wasn't about them. This was about me and what I needed to do for myself.

I drank so much. Beers, vodka, and shots, I drowned myself in the music at nightclub in Gotham. In my drunk mind, I knew I couldn't go back to Metropolis wasted, so I did the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life: walk the streets and go home with someone.

A man followed me down the street. He must have been someone I danced with earlier and wanted me more. I was screwed up. I was stumbling in my high heels, my vision was blurry, and my mini black dress kept hiking up, and my hiccups were loud and disturbing.

The man caught up with me. He pushed me in an alleyway, and shoved his tongue in my mouth. The smell of alcohol and the taste of some kind of heavy drug made me more nauseous. His hands hold my waist like an anchor; how can I escape now when I'm as weak as a toothpick against a hammer.

"No. I don't want this…" the words struggled out of my mouth. But it was no use. It must have been one in the morning. Nobody could hear me or see me.

"I think you do. Why else would you make _this_ so easy?" the man says with his face between my neck and shoulder.

"I-I don't want this! Please stop!" I say louder. Can anyone hear me?

When the man moved his hand up my dress, a dark shadow covered the streetlight at the end of the alleyway. A figure, dressed in all black, rushes to us and slams the man who was all over me up against the wall.

"She said she didn't want your sexual advances. Why do you sickos make _this_ so easy for me to put you in your place?" the caped crusader growled and beat the man unconscious.

When the man was out cold, the dark knight made his way over to me. I wasn't as drunk as I initially believed, because I could look up to his masked face and know who he was. Batman.

He helped me up. I looked up at the tall hero and smiled. "Thank you, Batman."

"Just be more careful when you're out at night. You know, this is Gotham and this place isn't exactly Metropolis." And with that one comment, Batman disappeared right before my eyes.

What didn't startle me was Batman. What startled me most was how he knew I was from Metropolis.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Okay, so here's the second chapter. I basically imagine the story flowing like a comic book. I obviously have nothing against Lois Lane; I just really like drama amongst characters lol. I really like Jessica Cruz as a character, and I believe she could be a best friend to anyone. So please read and review. I appreciate comments 😊

As usual, I do not own DC comics or their characters. I just own Anya Martinez.

Chapter 2 Party Time

"Earth to Anya!"

My head snaps up to Jessica. How long have I been ignoring her? My eyes search all around us and I see darkness has already closed in on us. Lifting my cell phone, I see five unread text messages from Clark.

"You know he's going to be there at the gala tonight, right? He's a reporter and he'll most likely talk to you. You might as well suck it up and hear what he has to say," Jessica says seriously. "You can't ignore him forever; just like I can't ignore John and Shayera. They'll find me within seconds."

"I'm the reason why he and Lois are divorced-"

"You cannot be the only reason why they divorced. They were probably having problems before you came along."

"She kept him grounded on Earth; she kept him in check when his super abilities boosted his ego. I kept him soaring higher and higher in the sky when he would fly me above the Daily Planet just because he wanted to bring a smile to my face. I obviously went against their code of keeping him human whenever possible," I unknowingly raise my voice.

Jessica sighs sadly. "Whether you believe it or not, you brought out the human side of Clark. You gave him a newfound purpose because you're the daughter he never had. Kara doesn't count; she can take care of herself. You on the other hand…you made him selfless because you needed him and he…needed you."

"He shouldn't want anything to do with me. He…worried about me too much," my voice cracks from the harsh reality of what I caused in Clark Kent's life…and Superman's life, I suppose. "I don't even know what to say to him. Saying sorry times infinity isn't enough. I…caused too much damage."

I remove myself from the balcony to dress for the gala. I decided to go just because Jessica wanted me to go, and I intended to somewhat enjoy myself for the remaining night. I mentally prepare myself for what can happen tonight even if the odds just want to screw me over again and again.

We were approached quickly at the location. A valet took Jessica's green sportscar and leaves us on the red carpet to go park it in the parking lot. Jessica flips her curly dark hair back and smiles at the photographers and reporters ahead of us. She removes her dark jacket and reveals her long, dark green dress with a slit at the side. John Stewart would have a heart attack if he saw her.

"You look really great but I seriously doubt they want pictures of us," I whisper to her. I cover myself with my jacket and walk beside her. "We're nobodies, remember?"

"Who cares? This is the one time I can feel like a celebrity or model or something! Oh dios mio, Anya! Enjoy yourself for once!" Jessica hisses and rips my jacket off me.

The cold air instantly spreads bumps along my flesh. The dress I chose tonight was my party dress; the mini black one I wore when I was rebellious since I couldn't afford a new one on such short notice. The only thing that was different tonight was a push-up bra to make my cleavage more…noticeable, since Jessica insisted we meet guys tonight.

My long dark hair swayed to the side when a breeze hit us. My newfound confidence was extraordinary. I've never felt so beautiful in my entire life.

A limo pulls up behind us as the reporters and photographers surround the vehicle. Jessica exhales dramatically. "There goes our fifteen seconds," she mumbles.

"Who is so important here anyway?" I ask, trying to stand on my toes even though my high heels prevent me from doing so.

"The prince of Gotham, who else?" Jessica answers dryly, and pulls my arm inside the high-class establishment.

Inside is something I could only imagine in dreams. White statues of Greek mythology peoples surround every corner. Marble walls, diamond white and gold chandeliers, and a huge stage at the back coldly whispers at me to leave. I certainly don't belong here.

Jessica and I were surrounded by famous people who certainly didn't know us. A server comes to us with champagne. Jessica takes two glasses for us.

"Who invited us here anyways?" I ask her.

"My mom and dad," she answers and takes a long sip. John and Shayera, her foster parents invited us. Why would they? Where are they anyways?

"What's the purpose of tonight? Children's hospital, random charities, auctions or-"

"Oh, for the love of Gods! Can't you stop asking questions for ONE night and have fun?" Jessica snaps and downs the remaining champagne in her glass. "I'm going to go mingle. Maybe you should too!"

Jessica disappears into the crowds within seconds. Holding my fresh champagne glass in my hand, I move myself to one of the statues to observe the people here. The music the band is playing is jazzy and only some couples are dancing. I wonder what time I can slip away and leave before anyone really sees me.

"There's nobody but fake people here," I mutter under my breath. "They're just a bunch of snotty-ass, selfish, egotistical people who see themselves as Gods. Overall, just fake people."

"Really? Just fake people, huh? I like to consider myself a human being who strives to help people and make the world a better place for everyone to live in," a voice says behind me. The voice is deep yet has a charming tone to it. "I've never once considered myself a God."

I whip around, and I'm immediately face to face with Bruce Wayne; the man Jessica claims is the Prince of Gotham. Standing at 6'2, Bruce's structure resembles Clark's except Clark is more muscular. Bruce's dark hair is gelled and combed to the side except it appears a bit messy and unkempt as if he was in a fight or something. What a ridiculous idea; as if the Gotham's most eligible, billionaire, bachelor was in a fight.

My eyes searched all around him. His eyes were as blue was the ocean; striking and alluring. His cologne was addicting too, everything about this man is addicting.

"The Prince of Gotham," I murmur softly. I barely notice his black tie is loose unlike the other men's.

"I prefer the Son of Gotham, but then again, Bruce is just fine," Bruce says kindly, and lifts my hand up to kiss it. "And you are…"

I swallow hard. How can this attractive man be talking to me? I'm nobody! "Anya, Anya Martinez-Kent," I answer, before mentally slapping myself for adding Kent to my last name. How could I be so stupid?

"You're Clark Kent's daughter?" Bruce asks incredulously. "The daughter of the reporter from Metropolis?"

"Adopted," I answer fast. I'm Mexican American and Clark Kent is a Kansas boy; it would be impossible for me to be his biological daughter. "I'm not his real daughter."

As if Bruce could read my mind, he quickly clears his throat. "I didn't mean to offend you, Anya."

I know Bruce Wayne isn't racist. He has been with women of different color (from what I read in the tabloids) but for some reason, I feel as if he's judging me. My cheeks burn and I suddenly feel self-conscious being here. I glance down at my arms and the bumps return from the chill around me. I practically hug myself to cover my chest. I suddenly wish my curve-hugging dress was below the knee.

"Father, I searched all around for the server and I couldn't find the shrimp," a boy speaks as he approaches us. He must be ten, I assume. His spiky dark hair is messy like Bruce's, and it dawns on me that this boy is Bruce's son. "Who is this?"

Before Bruce can answer, I find the courage inside me to speak for myself. "Nobody, it was nice to meet you," I say coldly and remove myself from them quickly.

Their eyes are on me. I can feel them burning into my back. I make my way to the other side of the room to get a drink before a man trips behind me and his notepad and camera slide over to me.

Only one man can fake his clumsiness like this.

Clark Kent.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: WELCOME BACK! Here's Chapter 3, and no, I don't have anything against Wally West! I just love poking fun at him and I just adore him in _Young Justice_. 😊

Also, I wanted to dig deeper into Bruce and Anya's flirtation in this chapter. A little romance never hurts lol.

I also wanted to make Clark Kent be a father figure to Anya, since she's kind of like the daughter he never had. Their father/daughter relationship is sensitive subject, but I hope you all like it.

Read, review, and leave comments please! 😉

I do not own any DC characters. I just own Anya Martinez. (I wish I owned the entire world though…)

Chapter 3 Meetings

"Sorry! So sorry!" Clark was rambling his apologies. He pushes his glasses up his nose and continues rambling on about something that I can't quite understand. His foolishness must have warmed my heart because I kneeled to pick up his notepad and camera. "I just can't help myself sometimes. My Ma always said, 'Clark, if your head wasn't attached to your body, you would just be ridiculously lost.' She's always right, you know?"

Clark raises his face and he sees it's me. His breathing immediately slows down. We're almost at the same eye level except he lifts himself up more to see me more. "I-I didn't know you would show up," he stammers a bit.

"Jessica wanted me to come, except I can't quite figure out why I came," I say quietly.

We stand up at the same time. Clark pushes his glasses up again, and I instantly notice his tie is loose. I put the notepad and camera down on the table and tighten his tie. He appears shocked that I'm helping him, but I ignore how he stiffens at my touch.

"There," I whisper at my accomplishment. Clark looks professional now. "That's better."

His blue eyes suddenly look grim. "You've been ignoring my phone calls, text messages, and emails," he states cautiously. His clenches his jawline and his eyes search mine desperately.

"And?"

"Why Anya? I-I have to know why. What did I do to make you hate me so much?" Clark asks, but it's more like begging to me. The only time I've ever seen him like this was when he pleaded for Lois to not leave him. Seeing him in this much pain almost breaks me. "Tell me what to do and I'll fix it. I swear. Just please, tell me what I can do."

I scoff. A smile wants to take over my face because Ma Kent would certainly have a heart attack if she heard Clark say, 'I swear.' The darkness traps me in again. I didn't know I caused Clark this much sadness. But how could he think that? Did I really make him believe this was entirely his fault? "I never said I hated you," I say softly. Is my strong, tough, exterior really shattering like glass?

"Well, it seems like you do, Anya. You never call. You never visit. Jon really misses you, and you know I do, too," Clark quickly responds before he loses me. His hand touches mine before he holds it comfortingly. "Why did you leave? You didn't have to leave, Anya."

"Of course, I had to," I reply instantaneously. I try to pull my hand away but Clark won't let go.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because…" I pause before I mentally force myself to stand up for myself. The tears in my eyes threaten to fall even though I hate crying in front of Clark. "I ruined your marriage, Clark. I ruined your family. Can't you see it? Can't you see the damage I've caused? If you didn't help me, if you didn't take me in and protect me, you would still be married to Lois and have the small, happy family that you deserve. I took all that away from you. That's why I had to cut myself out of your life so you can get back what I took away from you. And for that, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Clark."

"Anya," Clark began but stopped himself. I glance into his eyes and behind his glasses, I see that he appears to be crying, too. But why? Why would he cry?

"I-I didn't keep you human like Lois did. I-I kept you a superhero, my superhero. M-my Superman," I stuttered behind the tears that were now falling.

Clark exhales hard and pulls me into a hug. His arms wrap around me tightly, but I can tell he's trying to be careful not to crush me. My face is pressed against him and the hole I've drilled inside me finally closes. So, he doesn't blame me. He doesn't blame me at all. After all this time, he did miss me and want me back. My anxiety filled tears turned to tears of joy and relief.

Did I finally find a place where I truly belonged?

Clark finally releases me. I sniffle and wipe the smeared eyeliner and mascara from under my eyes. I can feel his touch when he pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"You know I don't approve, right?"

"What?" I ask, because I don't know what he doesn't approve of.

"Your look. There are men here, you know," Clark says before he shakes his head disapprovingly. "The dress is too short."

I glance all around us and some men on the dance floor were staring in our direction. Across the way, I spot Bruce Wayne with his son at a table. Bruce's eyes don't leave mine. I can sense him staring into me or my soul.

"You have nothing to worry about. Nobody is checking me out." I quickly dismiss Clark's paranoia.

Jessica makes her way over to us. Her grin is huge which could mean she's going to brag. "Hey, so you finally made up with Clark. THAT'S GREAT. I knew you would, Anya. Well, we need to go find our seats before we lose them," Jessica says, and pulls my arm. Clark followed.

Our table was closer to the stage, and only two tables away from Bruce's. As the three of us were waiting for our dinner to be brought out, three people came to our table. A woman, dressed in a long, sparkly, red dress, had her dark hair flowing behind her. She had silver star earrings, and two gray metallic bracelets on both wrists. Her blue eyes sparkled at us and her smile was warm and pleasant.

The two men who accompanied her sat down on the other side of her. One of them was a spiky haired blonde with blue eyes, also. The other was a teenager, probably around fourteen or fifteen-years-old. He had red spiky hair, and green eyes. He grinned at all of us and waved at Clark.

"It's good to see you again, Diana. You look…very lovely," Clark greeted her politely and obviously stumbled on the last word. His cheeks turned red.

"Thank you, Clark. You look very handsome. Hello, Jessica. Hello, Anya. I've heard so much about you," Diana says kindly. She smiles at me even though I don't say anything back.

"It's great to see you, Diana. You still kicking men's asses or what?" Jessica asks loudly. Some people around us glared and stared at us in shock. Clark shook his head and gave her a disapproving look.

"Indeed I am. I intend to see men share this world with women," Diana says.

I nod my head at Diana as nicely as I can. I don't know who she and the two other guys are. The blonde one looks dashing in black suit (black long sleeve dress shirt, black tie, is this guy going to a funeral?) while the redhead fumbles around with his black bowtie. I wonder why he chose the bowtie instead of a regular tie? Clark can tell I'm confused about who these people are.

"This is Barry Allen," Clark introduces the blonde man to me.

"The fastest man alive," Barry says and smirks at me. He's the Flash. He is cute when he smiles; I find myself staring at him more than I should. Jessica rolls her eyes at us and scoffs at me.

"Too fast if you ask me," Jessica responds with a laugh. Barry glares at her.

"And this is…wow, I completely forgot your name," Clark says quietly. The redhead scoffs and appears offended.

"Take a guess, you buffoon!" the teenager snaps angrily.

"Jimmy Olsen."

"WHO?"

"Did I guess incorrectly?" Clark asks, and frowns. "You would look like Jimmy Olsen if you had a camera."

"I'm Wally West!"

"Oh, sorry son. You look like someone I know…" Clark trails off as he thinks.

"Really?" Wally asks. No longer offended, he's easily impressed. "Who?"

"Someone back at the Daily Planet. I just can't think of the kid's name…"

"Jimmy Olsen," I answer for him.

"That's right! Thank you, baby girl! Jimmy Olsen! You two could look brothers with that red hair and those freckles! Even twins!" Clark chuckles to himself.

"Because we both have red hair and freckles?" Wally asks quietly. He looks ashamed of himself.

"Take it as a compliment, Wally. Don't be so dramatic," Barry intervenes before Wally has a breakdown, I assume.

I glance at Jessica as I tilt my head at Diana. It takes a few seconds for her to realize I'm asking about Diana. "Oh!" Jessica gasps and moves closer to me to whisper. "She's Wonder Woman."

"Really?" I ask, intrigued by what I've learned. I've only seen Wonder Woman a few times back in Metropolis when she helped Superman. Diana really blends into society; she even put on a pair of glasses just now.

"Yeah, and the teenager is Kid Flash."

I nod my head in understanding. "Lois was always jealous of Wonder Woman," I whisper back.

"Really? Why?"

"I don't know. I always used to think it was because Wonder Woman easily matches up to Superman. Strength and strength, courage and courage, and their equal struggles with trying to be…human," I answer softly.

"That makes sense. But didn't he always comfort Lois and try to tell her she was the one for him?" Jessica asks.

"He always did, but now that I think about it, I think Lois always knew deep down that she wasn't meant for him. That could explain why she was barely home and always at work. She was never home. She didn't want to be home anymore. Things were slowly…changing before I left home for good," I explain quietly.

Jessica nods her head. "So, it wasn't your fault, Anya. Maybe their marriage just wasn't strong enough. Maybe they weren't meant to be. Some people just can't be together and maybe there's no definite answer for why they couldn't work it out," Jessica whispers to me.

"You're right," I whisper. Jessica is entirely right. She's right about everything.

The music turns slow and many couples were getting up to dance together. I watch Clark stumble out of his seat to move over to Diana. Her smiled bashfully when he held out his hand to her. "Would you care to dance with me, Diana?"

"Of course, Clark. I would love to," her voice is full of love. She takes his hand and allows him to lead her to the dance floor.

Clark's hand rests on her waist while the other holds her hand out while they sway to the music among the other couples. With my own eyes, I saw the way they stared at each other. It became obvious to me that Clark was enamored with Diana; he was practically gazing at her and holding her closely to him as if she would vanish at any second.

She's not even from here. She's practically from another world. And he loves her for who she is.

What I would do for that very same thing.

"So…Jessica, wanna dance?" Barry asks, as he scoots over to her and gives her a dashing smile. She would be stupid if she said no!

"I don't know, I mean, you're too fast for me," Jessica teases him. Her dark eyes laugh, and he doesn't even take his eyes off her.

"You know, the more you say that, the more I'm beginning to think if it's because of me outrunning you or hurrying things up if you know what I mean."

All Jessica does is grin at him and pulls him up by his tie to lead him to the dance floor. A thought came to mind: did Jessica lie about John and Shayera inviting us here? Was Barry the one who invited Jessica instead?

John and Shayera were nowhere to be found. I wouldn't be surprised if Jessica did lie because she was enjoying the attention Barry was giving her even if she didn't show it a lot.

Wally shakes his head at Barry and continues to eat all the appetizers he stole from the servers a moment ago, as I watch Barry and Jessica sway to the music not too far from Clark and Diana. I look behind me and see Bruce isn't sitting next to his son anymore. His son is engaged in a conversation with another boy. When the boy turns his head to laugh, that's when I notice it's Jon.

Jon? What's he doing here? Does Clark know he's here in Gotham?

"Jon?" I whisper before a man clears his throat behind me. Bruce.

"Anya, do you want to dance?" Bruce asks me. His voice is deep, but I can tell he sounds entirely hopeful. His eyes plead into mine. I don't know why he wants to dance with me, though.

I realize I may have been too harsh to him. Since Clark and I fixed things, I trust my judgment and take his hand. I let him lead us to the dance floor. When one of his hands holds my waist, I immediately stop breathing as he takes my other hand to hold as he moves us to the music. The only man I've ever danced with was with Clark, and that was when he blasted old romantic fifties/sixties music in the apartment. But this dancing is different. The way Bruce didn't take his eyes off me made me feel like I was the only person who mattered in the room.

Of course, I've only been with one man in my entire life. A man I met in Gotham when I moved here: Jonathan Crane, a brilliant scientist who worked in Wayne Enterprises and was on the verge of finding a serum to end all nightmares. I allowed that man to help me find my own identity and he did more than that.

I told him I wanted to be powerful. I wanted to protect myself, that way no one would ever protect me again.

Jonathan did just that. I developed my own hero persona: Nighthunt.

My costume remained simple all black: black pants, black long sleeve shirt with dark bulletproof armor plates all around my body, black combat boots, and a domino mask to hide my identity. I needed to look like I could blend into darkness and I do.

He helped train me. He helped me learn to defend myself against almost everyone and everything. He made me who I am today.

I didn't kill though. Jonathan was a little alarmed about that. Once I was fully capable to go out on my own to patrol one night, he asked if I killed the Joker after he blew up an orphanage. When I told him no, he claimed he had an experiment to tend to and left without saying another word.

I told him I just wanted to fight and frighten criminals; bring them to justice. I was perfectly capable of fighting and using my bo staff and a handful of different kinds of gadgets he managed to create for me.

The relationship turned sour when he was fired from Wayne Enterprises. He left me a note and disappeared. I haven't seen him in a year.

Bruce lifts my face to his when I realize I've completely ignored him all this time. I really must practice my listening skills.

"I said I didn't mean to seem disrespectful. I'm really sorry, Anya," Bruce apologizes sincerely. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me because I'm not that kind of man."

I find myself smiling up at him. How did that happen? Only Clark's clumsy charm can make me smile this easily.

"I should be sorry. I jump to conclusions too easily. Don't worry about it, Mr. Wayne," I say.

"Call me Bruce. Mr. Wayne's too formal."

"If you say so, Bruce. I bet your _special_ friends call you Mr. Wayne. You're as fancy as the rest of these robotic mannequins here. You have to be formal and fake or you'll be considered a peasant or something like me," I say, as I raise my eyebrows at him.

"You know, I'm not really like them. I don't even consider these people my friends and I'm not a robotic mannequin. I'm different," Bruce says seriously. His eyes somehow shine. He almost looks human…

"Oh really?" I question lightly.

"Yes," Bruce replies and hums to himself. "And you're no peasant. If anything, these robotic mannequins don't belong here."

"Those robotic mannequins have to be here, or nobody would show. This is a charity-dinner-ball thing." The inner-nerd is released. Why did I just repeat Jessica's quote?

"As if these people really care about other people; if they had it their way, there would be no charity-dinner-ball things. Most of these rich snobs _have_ to host, plan, and donate to these things because their reputation depends on it. If they didn't, they'd be cruel, selfish people. I grew up with my father giving me incredible insight about being a true humanitarian: if those who are fortunate enough with having the most, those _should give_ the most to help others. I seriously doubt these people here share the same sentiment."

"Those who don't share the sentiment must have no heart," I agree wholeheartedly. I can feel his body pressing closer into mine. "Not everyone was born with a million-dollar trust fund or got extremely lucky with a famous last name just to get by. Most people struggle, starve, and kill for food and water."

"I know," Bruce answers quietly. His eyes don't leave mine for even a second. "But look, I am very grateful for everything I have in my life. Although my public image isn't exactly what I want it to be, I do try my hardest to give back to those who need it."

"Your public image?"

He exhales shakily. "I'm known for my…dating history. My personal life is always on the first page in the tabloids."

"You're a Cowboy Casanova," I laugh loudly. Of course, I do remember seeing Bruce's face on the front covers with lovely swimsuit models, beautiful talented actresses, and gorgeous television hosts. So, Bruce's dating history is probably longer than my grocery lists every month. But Bruce Wayne is very handsome and can have any woman he wants. It's not like I even stand a chance with him…

"I haven't heard that one yet. I'm used to Playboy billionaire," Bruce interrupts my thoughts. He gazes into my eyes as if he's trying to find something. "But being a Cowboy Casanova isn't really me, though. I have to play that role very well, Anya."

"Enlighten me then," I breathe heavily when he brings me closer to his body. His body against mine makes me shiver. He lowers his head down to mine and I can smell his minty breath. It's so intoxicating. "Tell me who you really are, Bruce."

"Between you and me, I know who Clark Kent really is. Just like I know who you really are," Bruce whispers, his lips brush up against my cheek and ear. His mouth is hot. "Nighthunt."

My eyes widen. He knows who Clark is! He knows who I am!

I pull my face away. "You know…" I trail off in complete numbness.

"I know everything. It's my profession to know everyone and everything," Bruce states. His hand moves down my lower back. I try to keep my mind clean.

"You didn't exactly answer what I want to know," I remind him. I refuse to back down and forget what I requested.

His blue eyes look me up and down; as if he's debating if he should tell me or not. "It means that much to you, doesn't it? It's the only way you'll trust me," Bruce whispers, mostly to himself, I assume.

"You trust me?" I ask curiously. How could he when he doesn't even know me?

"You haven't given me a reason not to."

"But you don't know me," I point out.

"I know enough about you. I already told you; it's my job to know everyone and everything," Bruce defends himself.

He continues to hold my short, small body against his tall, strong one. Bruce lowers his face down to mine once more. "You really don't know me, do you? Let me give you a hint: this is Gotham and this place isn't exactly Metropolis," he whispers before he kisses my cheek.

Batman.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Here's Chapter 4! Yay! Anyways, here's a dramatic, frightening part where Anya's past catches up to her.

Please read, review, and comment. I appreciate love 😊

I do not own DC comics or their characters. I just own Anya Martinez.

Chapter 4 I'm Trouble Now

The lights began to flicker repeatedly. The crowd on the dance floor began to whisper and panic. The lights turned completely off and turned back on within seconds. The stage was ambushed by men wearing dark sacks over their faces and they held big guns in their hands. The men divided to one or the other side of the stage, so someone can enter directly down the middle.

He looks like a scarecrow; a very frightening one with the scariest mask I've ever seen before.

"I'm looking for someone," he finally speaks, his voice is strange, and it must be because of fumes. He moves towards the edge of the stage and searches around everyone. "I said I'm looking for someone. If you tell me where she is, then I'll make sure none of you choke to your deaths."

"Who are you looking for?" a man asks at the bottom front of the stage. "Tell us who and I'll tell you."

"Her name's Anya Martinez. I want her now and preferably alive and unharmed. I shouldn't be too picky, though. If she's hurt or lost an arm or leg, I'll take her anyways," he answers darkly than earlier.

I swallow hard. My breathing deepens, and I fear this will end badly. A dark backpack I placed on the roof of the plaza has my gear. I've always made it my business to be prepared for anything. I must make an escape to change into my costume. I run to the nearest exit without making a scene.

"Like I said before, if you hand her over to me now, I may spare all your lives," the scarecrow looking man says. I can hear him use the microphone as I finish up on the roof. I slip on my domino mask. It never takes me long to get ready. If he wants me, then I'll let him have me. "If your truest fears don't eat you alive first."

The window ceiling is the only way down quicker. I jump through it and land on the stage as the glass falls below like rain. I raise my bo staff that meets the scarecrow man's neck. It's obvious he wasn't prepared to meet me.

"I must have hit the jackpot. This is…much better than what I imagined," the scarecrow speaks lightly. For some reason, I feel like I know this man. The familiar tone despite the voice being altered by something.

"Whatever you had planned, it's over. Leave these people alone," I threaten. I jam the bo staff harder into him. I refuse to show any fear or intimidation.

"I must say, you came along very nicely, Nighthunt," his low, raspy voice compliments me. His hand reaches out to stroke my cheek. I slightly tremble from his touch. "I trained you very well. I made you better than you ever were, buttercup. I picked you up like the trash you were; I cleaned you, polished you, and reassembled you into a bigger, better product. In a way, I am your creator."

Jonathan Crane?

"Come with me, Nighthunt. The two of us will rule Gotham, and together, we will drown this city into their worst fears. Imagine…that this city can be ran by nightmares, and fear will be the only common emotion. The other emotions will die with the humanity they all lacked. The fear we'll have will never, ever compromise our strength," he explains proudly and runs his gloved fingers along my jawline. "We will be Gods, Nighthunt."

Superman slams down on his knees in front of the stage. He rises and glares at the scarecrow man. "I don't think so, Scarecrow," Superman says angrily. "Get away from him, Nighthunt. Now!"

I find myself jumping off the stage and landing beside Superman. Scarecrow chuckles manically, and withdrawals a needle from his costume. He points it upwards, as a signal to someone, and a red gas enters the room from all the air vents. The gasps, screams, and the panic from the people takes over the room. The scarecrow's henchmen lock all the doors from the outside. The Scarecrow makes his way off the stage and comes closer to us.

"Then you choose fear, Nighthunt. Your fears will indeed, betray you and no one will be able to save you," Scarecrow screams louder than I imagined. "Not even Superman can save you! Not even Batman can save you! _I_ won't even save you!"

Superman growls with rage and grabs Scarecrow by his neck and flies up towards the ceiling before throwing him down onto a table. I race over to the table to fight Scarecrow but Batman flies down from the roof.

"Help Wonder Woman and the others. You need to get these people to safety," Batman orders. I nod my head and head to the exit that Wonder Woman made.

Kid Flash, Robin, and Superboy were guiding people out while Green Lantern and Flash were fighting Scarecrow's henchmen. I run over to help them, but the red gas fumes hit my face. The toxin is spreading faster now. The smell is strong, and I can feel the poison affecting me more.

"Go on, seek your most terrible fears. Embrace the nightmares. Live in the fear. Use the fear's strength and take what you want. Do what feels natural to you," the scarecrow's voice echoes in my ears.

I cough hard. I practically choke on my own blood. My vision's blurry; all my senses are being compromised. My head and body ache horribly from whatever fumes I'm inhaling. The red thick cloud that the scarecrow man leaked into the room surrounds all around me. The superheroes I saw just a while ago are nowhere to be found. I fear I'm giving into my fears because my heart rate is high.

A screeching, high pitch noise booms in my ears; I can feel my mouth open but I'm not sure if I'm screaming, though. A large, dark shadow comes out from the heavy fog. I stumble backwards as I attempt to grab my bo staff to fight.

 _Live in the fear_.

My grip on my weapon feels natural. A hunger comes from within me to fight. To kill. A big, monstrous bat with sharp fangs and claws comes closer. I strike it hard first. I jump on it and choke it with my bare hands. The savage thirst I have is fulfilling. The fear I had becomes a strength; Scarecrow was right.

I suddenly feel my body being lifted as if I weighed nothing. I'm placed on a table and a hand comes into my view and I'm sprayed in the face with something strong. A minute must have passed, and my vision clears. Superman and Batman were looking down at me. The red gas is gone.

"What happened to me?" I ask quietly. My throat hurts terribly.

"You were infected with Scarecrow's toxin," Batman says, and moves away to search around for clues to find Scarecrow. "You're extremely lucky I had an antibiotic serum to cleanse the toxins from your nostrils. Just to be on the safe side, you better come with me to make sure the toxins are complete flushed out.

"But the important thing is, you're okay, Anya," Superman says, and kisses my forehead. How dare he unmask me in front of Batman, though. I let it slide, simply because the other heroes were gone. "You're going to be okay."

"Where are the others?" I ask, hoping the worst hasn't happened. I sit up despite Superman holding my forearms for my safety. "Where's Jessica?"

"She left with the others to make sure those who inhaled Scarecrow's toxins made it to the hospital safely," Batman answers promptly.

"And Jon? Where's he?" I ask Superman.

"With the others as well," Superman responds thoughtfully. "Which reminds me, I need to lecture him about running away…"

I run a hand through my hair and exhale. "Did the toxins infect you guys? Did it infect anyone else?" I ask dreadfully. I want to know, but then again, I don't.

"From what I discovered, the toxin only infects those who are vulnerable to their own fears. It didn't affect me. It didn't affect Superman. It didn't affect the others. Just you," Batman replies darkly. He turns to look at me; it appears like he's trying to dissect me. "But what I can't figure out is how your connected to Scarecrow. Would you care to tell us how you know him, Anya?"


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hello! Here's Chapter 5, and I completely realized I never put in the exact location where Anya and Jessica Cruz live. They're roommates and they live in Gotham: Anya stayed in Gotham even though her and Jonathan broke up, and Jessica Cruz wanted more dangerous action, so the city of Gotham fit the kind of home she wanted.

So…now that's settled. This chapter has more light to it than the usual darkness. I needed jokes just to keep my sanity haha!

Also, I've always figured Kid Flash (Wally West) and Beast Boy wouldn't get along. I mean, they're the comic reliefs, and I bet there could only be one on a team. In this story, Beast Boy wins. But I think that's okay because Wally could spend some more time with Barry 😊

As usual, I do not own any DC characters. I just own my OC character Anya Martinez.

Chapter 5 Make Some Changes

Sitting in the Batcave while having tubes in my nose isn't exactly what I pictured; but I must cleanse my body from Scarecrow's toxins, and Batman and Superman intend to see it through. No one says a word until Wonder Woman and the others come down to the cave. Jessica, still in her Green Lantern suit, races over to me and hugs me.

"Oh, dios mio, Anya! Are you okay?" Jessica asks, and hugs me tightly.

"I'll be okay," I answer and pull away from her tight grip. "I'm just cleansing the remains of the toxins."

"I heard you jumped Batman and almost choked him to his death until Superman had to pull you off him. Excellent job!" Flash praises me and fist bumps me. "I would never have the guts to do that and live after."

"What about the time I made Superman slip on water back at the Watchtower?" Kid Flash asks.

"Don't remind me, son," Superman warns with wrath.

"You got your ass handed to you, West. Did you forget about that or did you never recover from your amnesia?" Robin asks, and chuckles with Jon. When Jon's eyes collide with mine, I notice the heartache I caused him.

I sit up when Jon, the newest Superboy, approaches me. His toothy grin melts my heart. "I missed you, Anya," he says into our embrace. "Please don't leave us again."

"I missed you too, Jon," I whisper back. My leave must have affected him, and Clark more than I thought. Superman smiles with a glance at our hug.

Many of them were relaxing down in the Batcave. Barry and Bruce's son remove their masks in front of me, except for Batman. An old butler comes down the stairs and gives everyone a glass of water. When he comes to me, the butler smiles and hands me a water with a packet of crackers.

"Thank you," I say gratefully. I take the drink and crackers even though Jon still has not let me go. His arms around me make it difficult for me to eat a cracker.

"You're very welcome, miss," the butler's British accent is full of kindness and I instantly feel a little better.

Not too far from me, Jessica leans her head on Barry's shoulder as the two of them sit in chairs against the wall. I watch Wally get jealous and lean his head on Jessica's lap as the three of them rest.

Diana makes her way to me. Jon releases me and moves away for Diana to come closer to me. "You gave us quite the scare. I'm relieved to know you're going to fully recover," she says politely.

"Yes, that is great news," I say, once I remove the hose from my nose. I rub my face immensely and I notice all their eyes are on me. "What? What's going on?"

Batman turns around from the computer and removes his cowl. His blue eyes find mine and his face becomes serious and somewhat vexed. Clark quickly notices I'm nervous and frightened by Bruce's sudden behavior change, and he moves beside me when Bruce comes over to us.

"Now, I need you to explain how you know Scarecrow, Anya. I need an honest answer from you or I will get my answers the hard way," Bruce demands. He's clearly dead serious; except I worry about what will happen after I confess.

"There's no need to threaten, Bruce," Clark defends me. He gets in Bruce's face. "She'll tell us. You don't need to scare her."

"I don't have time to play good cop, Clark! This isn't a joke! Scarecrow is a psychotic madman and will do whatever it takes to destroy everyone and the whole city! And there's no way in hell that I'm going to let her withhold valuable information from us that can us stop him!" Bruce yells. He doesn't back down from Clark-especially when he's still in his Superman suit. "This isn't Metropolis; this isn't a city with constant sunshine. You don't reason with evil, psycho people like how you do with Lex Luthor; and Lex shouldn't even be considered a dangerous enemy."

"Why you son of a-" Clark snarls before Diana clears her throat loudly.

"Calm down, Bruce," Diana intervenes and comes in between them. "We do not need to be turning on each other. We're a team, remember?"

I hop off the medical bed and I approach the three of them. "I'll talk," I begin as I exhale before I spill my guts. "Just don't hurt each other, okay?"

Scarecrow's words echo in my ears.

 _Live the fear_.

"Jonathan Crane is Scarecrow. He was my…boyfriend, teacher, and creator," I confess softly. I can sense their eyes on me; filled with curiosity and concern. "He…helped me when I ran away from Metropolis. He took me in, and took care of me. Our relationship was pure friendship at first, then we cared about each other more, and then it was love. He was the one who helped me become Nighthunt."

Jessica nods her head at me. "But you're a great hero, though. He at least helped you achieve that," she says.

"What went wrong in the relationship?" Wally asks quietly. His interest in the story makes Clark's eyes widen.

"He…wanted me to kill. After he trained me well enough to patrol on my own, I fought with the Joker that night. Since I took Joker down easily, he asked if I killed him. When I told him no, Jonathan's personality changed. He was no longer the man who cared about me. He was someone else," I answer quickly. This is becoming more difficult by the minute.

"Well, he's insane. That didn't occur to you at all?" Bruce smirks rudely at me.

"Bruce…" Diana scolds loudly.

"It's clear you didn't know what you've gotten yourself into," Bruce continues to criticize me. He never takes his eyes off me. "You didn't even know the man well enough to be in a committed relationship with him. And now he's targeting you. Congratulations, you're officially a victim to a psychotic madman."

"Stop it Bruce," Jon jumps in with anger evident in his voice.

"You're honestly expecting me to believe you knew Jonathan better than me?" Bruce continues to intimidate me. Clark, Barry, and Jessica move closer to surround Bruce just in case anything was to happen between us.

"How do you even know him? Do you stalk everyone or what?" I snap at him. My outburst shocks everyone, including myself.

"The Jonathan Crane I knew worked at my company for two years before I fired him," Bruce states as calmly as he can. I can see his right fist clenching tightly. "He worked in the science facility that was never authorized by me. He was obsessed with creating an anti-fear toxin. I knew there would be no such thing. That's why I let him continue with his experiments because once he failed, I would humiliate him and possibly transfer him overseas for trade work. But I didn't know it would end badly…but it did. He was responsible for killing fifteen people, my employees. The tragedy made my company and myself look bad, so I fired him," Bruce pauses with a scoff. "And I'm a detective; not a stalker."

"Then what happened? What happened after you fired him?" Clark asks slowly, trying to not anger Bruce any more than he was.

"He became the Scarecrow. A madman who makes it his never-ending mission to make people afraid of their worst fears. I blame myself for Crane's obsession. I knew he was mentally ill. I should have helped him. I should have taken him to receive mental help, but I didn't. I…turned my back on him." Bruce admits with remorse.

The Batcave is almost silent after Bruce's confession. The tension in the air is almost suffocating. It didn't help once I learned what truly happened with Jonathan. Bruce's story hit me hard; like I've ran into a brick wall hundred times. Bruce's son strolls over to him and hugs him.

"You can't honestly blame yourself for a psycho's downfall, Father. It's not like you made him that way," his son says comfortingly.

"Thank you, Damian," Bruce accepts his son's words.

Diana motions to the other side of the cave for Clark and Bruce to follow her. Once the three of them are farther away, Barry raises his eyebrow to the rest of us. "Why can't they talk about whatever it is they're hiding from us, in front of us? What's the big secret?" Barry questions. He shakes his head at the founding members of the Justice League.

"It's strictly Justice League business. Maybe it's too dangerous for us to know," Jessica guesses.

"They're debating if they should kick you off the team, Barry," Damian retorts and laughs at Barry.

"What?" Wally gasps and holds Barry tightly. "Why would they even think about kicking you off the team, Uncle Barry?"

"He's joking," Barry chokes out, and shoves Wally off him. "And besides, if they want to cut anybody off the team, I bet they'll start looking from the overpopulated teenage teams we have: Teen Titans and Young Justice."

"Ouch," Jon hisses at the burn.

"Why do you still call him, 'Uncle Barry', Wally? He's no longer married to Iris, which means there's no relation to him anymore," Damian taunts Wally. The look in Damian's emerald green eyes show no mercy. "He's not your uncle anymore."

Wally gasps and covers his mouth. Although I don't necessarily know what happened that ended Barry's first marriage, I can tell Barry still sees Wally as family. The rest of us watch Barry exhale tiredly and embrace Wally's shoulder.

"Don't listen to him. Even though Iris and I are not together anymore, that doesn't mean I don't still see you as family. You'll always be a part of my family, and I'll always be there for you if you need me, okay?" Barry reassures Wally with another hug.

"Thank you, Uncle Barry!" Wally cried out in excitement.

I lean over to Jessica. "So, what happened with Barry and Iris?" I ask quietly.

"Barry had to choose one of his lives. He had to choose to either be home all the time or be the hero. So, she gave him the ultimatum, and he chose hero, because that's who he is, and he can't change who he is. So, she kicked him out, took all his money, and had her family turn on him, except for Wally. Wally stood by him the entire time, and he even helped Barry get a new apartment," Jessica explains softly. I can tell she cares a lot about Barry with the way she looks at him when she mentions his name. It's nice and refreshing to see.

As Barry and Wally argue with Damian and Jon some more, Jessica turns her entire attention over to me. "Wally got kicked off the Teen Titans," she whispers.

"Really? Why?" I ask surprised.

"Because Wally and Beast Boy don't get along. There's competition between them. They constantly fought about who's the funniest one and since Wally believes only one of them could be funny, everyone voted Beast Boy," Jessica sighs and shakes her head at the disbelief of how fifteen-year-old Wally West could fight over something so stupid. "Wally made a complete fool of himself so Red Robin kicked him out. And that's why Barry allowed Wally to move in with him since Wally had nowhere else to go."

"Oh my God," I mutter under my breath. How could Wally do that? I thought being a part of the team was everything he could want.

Jessica mumbles something in Spanish that I can only assume is _really bad_. When we turn around, Clark, Diana, and Bruce return, which silences the silly arguments between the guys near us. Once they stop walking, Clark clears his throat to us.

"We have decided the next step for all of us to take as we discuss further action into taking down Scarecrow," Clark began before he looks to me. "You will stay here with Batman because this is the safest place for you right now."

"Um, hold on," Jon interrupts and moves to Clark. "Dad, wouldn't she be safer with _us_? Batman is a human, and staying here in Gotham is dangerous since the Scarecrow is here. Scarecrow would not dare attack us!"

"I completely agree with Jon," Damian says with annoyance. The thought of me staying here with him and Bruce was something he was not completely okay with. "Can't we rent her a hotel room or something, Father?"

"You know, she could always come stay with me and Wally back in Central City if everyone's going to have a cow," Barry suggests.

I watch them argue with tears in my eyes. How can me, just one person, cause _this_ much trouble? What am I going to do?

"She cannot stay here!" Damian shouts.

"It is for her protection!" Diana scolds harshly at Damian.

"She has to come home with us, Dad!" Jon yells to get Clark's attention.

"I'm trying to do what's best for her, Jon!" Clark shouts back at Jon.

"We have an apartment in the city! I can help her!" Jessica defends herself louder.

"I'm just trying to help too, you know!" Barry snaps.

"We need to protect her! She's my sister!" Jon screams at Clark.

"She's my daughter! I know what's best for her!" Clark roars.

"Why is everyone yelling?" Wally hollers as loud as he can.

"You're yelling too!" Barry snaps at Wally.

"Why are you not listening to me, Father!" Damian yells in Bruce's face. "She cannot stay here! I refuse to obey your decision! Her presence here will endanger all of us!"

Bruce's face was twitching with frustration from all the screaming and arguing. When his eyes opened, I knew hell was going to break loose. "JUST SHUT THE HELL UP! ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Bruce screams and slams his fist on the medical bed in front of him.

Everyone was silenced by Bruce's outburst. When everyone regains their breathing, I decide to say what I think I should say.

"I would just like to thank all of you for wanting to help me. But the truth is, I can't accept your help," I say, and when Clark opens his mouth to speak, I continue on. "Scarecrow wants me; not you. I have to deal with this on my own. I'm sorry for dragging you all down with me."

Bruce sighs and shakes his head at me. His dark hair is messy, and he looks exhausted. I wonder if he doesn't want to fight with me right now. "Bruce-" I speak but he interrupts me.

"We're going to help you, whether you accept it or not. You're going to stay here with me because I know more about Jonathan Crane than all of you. I'm going to be excused from all my Justice League missions until Jonathan Crane is stopped. Clark, Diana, Barry, Jessica, Jon, and Damian, you will all resume your Justice League missions, that way Scarecrow will believe we're ready for him. As for the next couple of weeks or however long this takes, Anya will be staying here as a guest and we'll protect her at all times," Bruce shares. Damian opens his mouth to speak but Bruce glares at him. "And we'll do whatever it takes to take down Scarecrow. End of discussion."

Everyone nods their heads at the final decision. Damian scowls at me, and runs up the stairs to leave the Batcave. Clark turns to me and smiles.

"I'll be over tomorrow with Jon, okay? Diana and I will keep checking up on you, so you don't have to worry about Bruce," Clark says, and hugs me tightly. When I gasp for air, he releases me. "Keep your head on."

"You're the one who needs to keep your head on," I tease back.

Diana hugs me and gives me a warm smile before Jon jumps up to hug me. "Be good kid," I tell him as I mess up his dark hair. "No more running away."

"Then you can't run away from home again either," Jon retorts and kisses my cheek. "I'll be over tomorrow. This place is a mansion, you know? We can have all kinds of fun here."

"You two better wait for me. I want to have fun in this mansion, too," Clark warns and pats Jon's back. Clark gives me one last smile before he, Jon, and Diana take off for the night.

Barry grins and gives Jessica and I a mysterious look. "A mansion, huh? What do you say we heroes have ourselves a slumber party?" Barry offers with his tongue sticking out.

"I'm in!" Wally screams and throws his fists up in the air.

"No," Bruce says.

"I agree! After tonight, I think we could all use a fun night and let loose!" Jessica agrees and grabs my hand.

Barry and Wally race into the mansion as Jessica flies her and I up the stairs and into the mansion.

"What are we going to do first?" I ask.

"It's a mansion! We can do anything we want!" Jessica laughs.

"He has a movie theater!" Barry yells.

"He has two pools! Pool party!" Wally screams.

"No!" Bruce shouts and runs up the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Hey…here's Chapter 6! Wow, how times flies! It seems like only yesterday…lol. There's more fun and romance in this chapter, and the characters definitely bond and learn more about each other. Enjoy! 😊

Please read, reviews and comment!

I do not own any DC comics characters. I just own my OC Anya Martinez.

Chapter 6 The More I Know

It's only eleven o'clock tonight, and Barry and Wally have made it their mission to make us all have fun. Even though I barely knew them, I can tell they were night owls; and Barry was determined to make us all have a good time.

Damian never returned downstairs with us since it was clear he didn't like me at all. I knew Wally invited him to join us, but Wally revealed Damian said no, and that he was tired from earlier. I knew it was total crap, and that Wally just lied to spare my feelings. Barry even asked Bruce to join us, but after we all toured him mansion, Bruce had disappeared upstairs, too.

Bruce has two enormous pools; one outside, and one inside with a jacuzzi. Since January is a freezing month, we all voted to swim indoors. Bruce's butler Alfred insisted on making us food and drinks (pizza, French fries, homemade lemonade, hot cocoa, chocolate donuts, and powdered donuts), and Barry and Wally took care of the swimming wear for all of us.

"Okay, here's yours," Barry says, and throws Wally's yellow trunks at him.

"Mustard color," Wally mumbles and shakes his head at them. "Be right back!"

Barry holds up his pair of trunks at Jessica. "Be prepared to be amazed by me," Barry commands.

"Sure thing, doll face," Jessica purrs. As she winks at him, Barry grins and disappears to change.

Jessica pulls out her swimsuit from the bag and hands me mine. I glance over at Jessica and notice her blue two-piece.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Jessica asks worriedly.

"No, you're good. I just…" I pause, unsure how to continue. I hold up my short black swim shorts and the black bikini top. "Aren't you…self-conscious to be in a swimsuit around…guys?"

I fear Jessica will criticize me and point out that women have nothing to fear in front of men. Instead, she laughs and giggles uncontrollably.

"No way! If anything, men should be self-conscious. They have to live up to the average/larger size women desire, if you know what I mean," Jessica says, and winks at me.

"You're ridiculous," I scoff.

"You need to live a little," Jessica retorts.

We both go into the changing room and dress in our swimsuits. Jessica braids her hair into one long braid, while I allow her to give me two braids. When we emerge, we see Barry and Wally waiting for us.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking at Barry. At 6'1, his body is muscular and in perfect shape. My eyes trail from his strong chest down to his mouthwatering abs and down to his abdomen. It's been a while since I've seen a man, and truth be told, I crave the attention so much. I quickly glance back up to see him flexing his biceps to Jessica, who just playfully rolls her eyes at him.

"Like what you see, Mama?" Barry flirts with her endlessly.

"Maybe," Jessica teases and puts her hands on her hips and poses. "Do you like what you see?"

"Hell yeah," Barry whispers. He's practically drooling at Jessica's curvaceous body.

She's a yoga Goddess; and the dedicated, challenging work has paid off for her. I can see his eyes roam from her flattering chest, toned stomach, and strong thighs. It becomes too much for him, though. Faster than a speeding bullet, he runs to Jessica, picks her up bridal style, and jumps into the water with her. Even though he was fast, I was able to quickly notice the pink hearts in his eyes.

The water splashes on Wally and me; even though we weren't that close to the edge of the pool. When Barry and Jessica surface, she laughs and splashes at Barry.

"Is the water cold?" Wally asks.

"It's warm, Wally. Bruce heated it up for us," Jessica says.

Wally runs to the wall and rubs his hands together, mischievously. The look in the teenager's eyes immediately frightens me. I decide to sit at the edge of the pool, with my legs in the water, while I watch Wally make a fool of himself. He inhales, exhales, and shuts his eyes for a moment as he plans his next move.

"Wally…" Barry warns seriously. "What are you doing? What are you planning?"

"I'm going to dive in," Wally answers nonchalantly.

"Don't do it, Wally."

"Why not?" Wally whines.

"Because you might mess up and crack your head open," Barry says. "Or drown."

"Don't say that!" Jessica cries out in fear and slaps Barry's arm.

"Maybe you should just jump in or do a cannonball," I suggest to Wally.

"Nah, I want to dive in," Wally says excitedly.

"You better not dive in. I told you not to," Barry threatens Wally.

"But I want to dive in!" Wally complains loudly.

"You'll hurt yourself or kill yourself! What part of that don't you understand? You have to think before you do something!" Barry yells. His voice booms throughout the pool room.

"You don't have to yell though!" Jessica shouts back at Barry.

"Why not? He should know the consequences! He never thinks of the consequences of his actions!" Barry defends himself.

"Of course, I do," Wally says.

"But you don't need to scare him, Barry," Jessica says.

"I have to scare him, or he'll never learn. He never thinks things through before he does them," Barry says, clearly frustrated at Wally.

"I think everything through, Uncle Barry," Wally says nicely. He smiles to make Barry feel better, but it doesn't work.

"No, you don't, Wally. You never do," Barry argues back.

"Just watch me. I know what I'm doing," Wally reassures us all.

"No, don't do it. Please Wally," Barry begs. "Don't dive in!"

"Here I go!" Wally yells out, as he casually runs to the edge of the pool. "WATCH ME!"

Wally dives into the deep end flawlessly. Jessica and I watch Barry's paranoid face as we all wait for Wally to resurface. Within seconds, the redhead shoots up to the surface and he pops up in the air with his arms up and a huge smile on his face. "Ta-daa!" Wally cries out loudly.

"That was amazing Wally!" Jessica praises him and claps.

"That was awesome!" I say with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't break your neck or drown," Barry mumbles. Jessica swims over to Barry, wraps her arms around him, and kisses his cheek.

"You need to have more faith in Wally," she says softly.

"I'll try, if you help me," Barry sighs, and looks at her. The love between them was clear, but why were they shy about it?

"This place is paradise!" Wally shouts with joy, and throws himself back onto the floating pool bed and accepts the homemade lemonade Alfred brought out to him. "Thank you, Alfred. You're too kind. Keep them coming!"

"Enjoy Master West," Alfred says, and leaves to head back into the kitchen.

"What a great guy! Any chance Bruce can lend him to us back at the Watchtower?" Wally asks Barry.

"Not a chance," Barry answers.

Bruce walks into the pool room with a pair of black trunks on. I immediately wonder why he decided to come down to hang out since he originally turned down Barry's invite. I had to check Bruce out twice because 1: he was more muscular and built than Barry, 2: I was dying to run my hands down his chest and rub his biceps, 3: I want his strong hands to touch me, and 4: he looks like he knows what he's doing…no questions asked.

Bruce turns on the jacuzzi and returns to where I'm sitting. "So, why was there a lot of yelling down here?" Bruce asks, even though I suspected the question was directed at Barry.

"Nothing," Jessica answers sheepishly.

"We were just screwing around," Barry replies naturally.

"Uncle Barry was afraid I was going to crack my head open, break my neck, and drown since I dived into the pool against his wishes," Wally reveals quickly.

Barry splashes water at Wally angrily. Jessica jumps onto Barry's back as the three of them wrestled in the pool.

"What a shame. I thought near-death experiences made parties more fun," Bruce jokes. His sense of humor is quite dark…

"Hey!" Wally cries out. He was clearly offended at Bruce's joke.

Bruce glances down at me as I move my legs in the water. I make myself look up at him. "Are you okay?" he asks me. His voice is soft and caring, which suddenly draws me closer to him.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I answer. I run my fingers along my two braids, which captures Bruce's attention.

"You look…really pretty," Bruce says softly to me. His usual tough and brave face was suddenly changed to a more quiet and nervous look.

"Thank you," I say, accepting the compliment. I feel my cheeks burning.

Bruce smiles at me and helps me stand up but decides to hold me tightly as we both jump into the water.

After we splash, wrestle, play Marco Polo (we had to stop playing that game after only ten minutes since Wally crashed into the wall and had a bloody nose), and chicken fight (we had to stop playing that game after one round since Wally didn't have a partner, and his idea was to climb on top of Jessica to make a three-player, and that ended badly), we decided to get into the jacuzzi to relax.

Bruce left to go get us drinks since he says that's his way of unwinding, I decide to ask Jessica the question that's been plaguing me all night.

"I need to ask you something and I need an honest answer, okay?" I ask, already feeling the moths fly around inside my stomach. Moths seem more gross, so I figured I'm more prone to having moths instead of butterflies.

"Ask away," Jessica responds politely. Barry and Wally quiet down to listen in on our conversation.

"Why does Damian hate me so much?" I ask quietly, just in case Bruce or Alfred overhear us.

"He hates everyone; me mostly," Wally says thoughtfully.

"I think he hates all women," Barry adds his two cents in.

"Not true, I think he likes Supergirl, but who knows?" Jessica shrugs and looks like she's thinking hard about this. "You don't know Damian's story, do you?"

"No," I answer truthfully. I shake my head to make my answer.

"I'll tell the story. I've known Bruce longer," Barry says proudly.

"Fine," Jessica mumbles. She surrenders with a long sigh.

"Long story short, his mother is Talia Al Ghul. She supposedly drugged Bruce, had his kid against his consent, and raised the kid alongside Ras Al Ghul to be the world's greatest assassin or something," Barry reveals before he looks both ways before he continues speaking. "I think Damian was created to kill Batman, but I don't know, I never got that story right. But the thing is, Damian was raised to be a bad guy. So, Damian only knew hate; not love, kindness, or care. That's why he hated Dick, Jason, and Tim so much. Even though those guys were Bruce's sidekicks, Bruce treated them as if they were his own kids, which never sat well with Damian. But Damian was one of the reasons why Bruce and Selina ended their engagement."

"What? I didn't know some of that!" Jessica gasps.

"Nuh-uh!" Wally disagrees.

"Bruce was…engaged?" I ask slowly. My chest suddenly hurt, and the moths continued to fly and stick inside my stomach. I feel sick.

"Yes, it's true," Barry confirms and nods his head. "He was engaged eight months ago and just last month, it was called off."

"How can a kid end an engagement?" Jessica asks.

"Who is Selina?" I ask.

"Damian never trusted Selina. He believes once a person's a villain; they're always a villain," Barry answers as best as he can. "Which is ironic since Damian was a villain since he was an infant. Selina Kyle is Catwoman."

My mouth hangs open. Barry and Jessica quiet down when Bruce comes in with four wine glasses, a bottle of champagne, and a can of grape soda for Wally.

"Zatanna charmed the beer, alcohol, wine, and champagne at the Watchtower. If you _really_ want to have fun, try it…unless you three are losers…" Bruce threatens with a laugh and starts to pour the glasses for us. "Sorry Wally, I do not approve of underage drinking."

"I'm in," Barry accepts the drink.

"Why not?" Jessica accepts hers.

"Stupid grape soda. Okay…" Wally accepts defeat and takes the drink.

I peek into the glass of champagne and see a purple light brighten into my drink before it vanishes. I've heard of the magician before, but I wonder why Zatanna charms drinks. I was never much of a drinker, but I instantly become influenced to drink it. The usual, disgusting smell of any kind of alcohol makes me gag; but this drink smells wonderfully fruity and sweet. My lips open to sip the drink. My heart pounds loudly in my ears. My eyes widen, and I smile wildly.

"Cheers." Bruce raises his glass to us. Our eyes connect like electricity.

I completely lose myself.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Here we go again! After a night of drinking Zatanna's charmed alcohol, what will happen to the gang? Will Superman find out?

Also, I don't have anything against Selina Kyle/Catwoman. As a matter of fact, I absolutely love Batman/Catwoman's romance. This is just a story where an OC character gets to be with the leading man…nothing more.

I do not own any DC comics characters. All I own is my OC character Anya Martinez.

Chapter 7 What Happened?

My eyes open to a bright room with gold and white curtains. I sit up and search around the cream-colored bedroom, which makes me feel like I'm in a hotel room. No, I'm in Bruce Wayne's mansion. My mind is fuzzy, and I don't quite feel like I'm myself right now. Glancing down, I realize I am naked, wrapped in a sheet, and I begin to panic.

What happened last night?

I look beside me and there is Bruce Wayne, peacefully asleep. I become completely enamored with him. There's more to him than just the crimefighter behind a mask; there's a soul underneath the armor and determination to protect Gotham. I confess, he is handsome and attractive, but his drive to protect and be a hero makes him so much more perfect. Curiosity overcomes me, and I force myself to lift the sheet a bit to see if he's naked as well.

Yup, he's naked. Beautifully and sexily naked.

 _What the hell happened last night?_ I scream inside my mind.

Ugh! I quietly and slowly rise from the bed and make a run for it to the bathroom, which is thankfully inside the guestroom. I quickly shower, dress into the clothes Jessica brought over for me last night, and run down the stairs to find my best friend!

I spot Alfred in the huge kitchen making breakfast. I can't be seen, so I duck and cover, and crawl to the living room where I hope I'll find Jessica.

No such luck! Where is she?

I sneak back into the pool room. Searching all around, I fear something bad must have happened to them. Did they drown? Did they go somewhere else when we were all intoxicated? I jump back near the wall when I hear a man's yawn; not too far away from me. Where the pool floaties and pool beds are stashed in a corner, I see Barry and Jessica holding each other, covered with just a beach towel.

"Jessica? Barry? What the hell happened?" I ask carefully.

Jessica's eyes open and she jumps high when she realizes she's naked and beside Barry. She gasps and slaps Barry's cheek. "What did you do to me?" Jessica yells angrily.

"What do you mean? I'm just lying next to you!" Barry shouts.

Jessica takes the towel and wraps herself with it, and leaves Barry exposed with nothing to cover with. I follow Jessica into the mansion; completely unaware of Wally, spooning a shark floatie near the diving board.

I wait patiently as Jessica showers. We went into the closest guest bedroom where we can talk and be alone to discuss last night. Maybe she can shed some light about last night. The last thing I remember is clanking my glass to theirs. Nothing else. Nothing more.

I become terribly anxious. Thoughts start to flood my mind. I enter a dangerous thinking territory.

If Bruce and I had sex, were we protected?

Did it mean anything?

Did we kiss?

Did we say anything before or afterwards?

Are we exclusive?

Are we supposed to forget and never remember it?

Are we at least still friends?

I become a mess. I'm a wreck and I have no idea how I'm supposed to move on from all of this. I wonder what else happened last night.

Jessica exits the bathroom. Her outfit is cute; dark jeans and a dark green tank top, she applies a little make-up and I immediately begin to wonder if we're going somewhere today. I decided to dress a little more laid back; black pants, a white spaghetti strap, and a red and black plaid shirt. I did apply some make-up, but I decided to leave my dark hair down today. I just feel…different; I can't even explain it.

But I just can't help but get the feeling that Jessica is trying to…impress a certain someone.

She ties her long dark hair into a messy ponytail. "You know, I consider you my sister, right?" Jessica speaks, breaking through my thoughts. I'm a little stunned by her confession.

"Really?" I ask, she can clearly hear the shock in my voice.

"Of course," she pauses for a moment to put on lip gloss. Jessica says she considers me her sister, and I immediately want to joke and say it's because we're both Mexican chicas. I realize it's inappropriate and not the right time. Jessica finally looks at me and exhales. "I just need to get something off my chest about last night."

"You remember last night?" my voice cracks.

"I remember most parts about last night. I only had two glasses of whatever Bruce gave us last night," Jessica admits before she leans against the door with her arms crossed. Was last night out of control? Do I even want to know what happened last night? "I learned a lot last night."

"Care to elaborate or do I have to guess what happened?" I impatiently ask.

"Whatever Zatanna did to that champagne did more than just get Barry drunk since he can't get drunk by regular alcohol. It…made us confess things last night," Jessica trails off quietly.

"Confess what, exactly?" I demand anxiously.

"Barry confessed he's been in love with me for the past five months. I confessed I had a crush on Nightwing and Jason Todd. That confession pissed off Barry though," she lists off the easy ones, I notice.

I bite my bottom lip. "What did I confess?" I ask softly.

"You confessed that you were sexually attracted to Superman when you met him, and that the fear toxin Scarecrow created was your idea. You helped create it," Jessica confesses. Even though she lowered her voice, I can hear the confessions scream in my ears.

I put my head in my hands and try to stop the tears that are threatening to fall. I shouldn't even be that surprised. Everything she says is true, it just feels like it's wrong when it comes from someone else's mouth.

"Look, I'm not mad at you or think you're betraying us because of the whole fear toxin," Jessica says, as she tries to make me feel better. "And Superman isn't _feo_. I would think he's hot, too."

"Did Bruce confess anything?" I change the subject fast. I must know if he confessed anything.

"He did but-"

"GIRLS! WHERE ARE YOU, GIRLS! COME ON DOWN FOR BREAKFAST!" Wally screams and runs down the halls to try to find us. "Alfred made breakfast! It's like, a buffet down here!"

"I guess we'll continue this later," I scoff angrily and lead us downstairs. I know Jessica's upset that I'm being short with her, but I know last night was a mistake. We all made mistakes last night.

Maybe it would be best if none of us talk about it, or even think about it.

When we reach the end of the stairs, I see Bruce, Barry, and Wally waiting for us. They washed up and are dressed for the day, too, except I don't know why.

"Our exotic girls look good, huh?" Wally asks and then receives a light punch in his arm by Bruce.

"Don't be a perv, Wally," Barry threatens him.

I avert my eyes from Bruce; the heat in our gaze is just too much for me. Jessica's confession a while ago rewinds in my head like a video tape I want to forget about. This is too much. I wonder if I should escape the moment I find an opportunity.

As Jessica and I stand in front of the guys, Alfred emerges from the kitchen with a phone in his hands. "Master Bruce, Clark Kent has just informed me he is on his way with Diana, and he is not happy with you at all," Alfred expresses with concern.

"What did I do?" Bruce asks. The concern and irritation is written all over his face.

Damian smirks at the dining room table with a plate full of waffles and strawberries. "Karma. What goes around comes around."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: And we're back! This chapter will have more drama, I promise. I just needed to build it from the previous chapter. 😊

I do not own any DC comics characters. All I own is my OC character Anya Martinez.

Chapter 8 What a Happy Day

I don't know what to expect. For a moment, I was beginning to think I should run away. I could always run back to Metropolis and hide somewhere. But then I fear Clark would find me easily. Maybe I could run away to Smallville, but Ma Kent would sell me out to Clark since he's her baby boy and she's just way too nice overall (she'd lecture me about the dangers of running away).

When Clark's mad-no, when Clark's _pissed off_ , it literally feels like the end of the world. His soft, alluring, baby blue eyes would strike someone down, his tone would make someone shiver like it's below twenty degrees, and his hero persona would look like it's long-gone…history. Lois and I are probably the only ones who have seen him battle himself between his heroic ways and the darkness of evil when his emotions intervene with his powers. There were a few times we've had to pull him out of the darkness, and since then, I know there could always be chance when he'll never be a hero anymore…but an anti-hero.

A soft breeze pushes a strand of hair away from my face, as I fold my arms and lean against Bruce's Porsche. It's a nice car; a black one that matches his "Batman color" since everything must be black. I don't know a lot about cars, but I figure he must have other nice cars hidden somewhere since…well, he can afford them.

Clark only has a red truck in Smallville from Pa Kent. In Metropolis, he takes a taxi to get around…if he's not flying, of course.

As I wait for Clark's arrival, my stomach growls from hunger. Jessie, Barry, Wally, Damian, and Bruce are all inside pigging out on Alfred's delicious breakfast buffet while I stand outside and wait for Clark to arrive and possibly try to kill Bruce for some reason.

I wonder if it has something to do with Bruce's confession from last night.

How would Clark know about it?

A sense of fear spreads through me when a very large shadow covers me from above. Clark's here…as Superman.

He flies down, and his cape hits my face; I fall to the grass from the impact. Clark grabs my arm and helps me up with an apologetic smile. So, he's not pissed off, but he does look determined and concerned.

I glance to the side and see Bruce heading over to us; as if he was outside the entire time. But I thought he was inside eating with the others.

Clark releases my arm and stares at Bruce. Does he know the secret?

"I heard from Aquaman that you hate weddings," Clark finally says. His tone is hard, and his face remains serious.

"Well, weddings usually lead to divorces," Bruce answers, and shoves his hands in his pockets. His blue eyes land on me, and for a second, I could have sworn there was heat in our gaze. I lose my breath. "And I'm not a fan of the hokey-pokey, speeches, and the long-term commitment and "having to be completely honest" in a marriage thing. And I can't tell you how many times I've caught the garter."

I frown from Bruce's wedding and marriage confession. A part of me knew he would truly believe in all that because he's been a bachelor for such a long time, and another part of me wishes he was joking and would eventually want to settle down and be with someone for the rest of his life.

With me.

Wait, what?

"Well, you can forget about all that negativity because I want you to be my best man at my wedding," Clark says, smiling so big his eyes close for a moment.

"What?" I ask, completely shocked and surprised my stomach hurts even more.

"What are you talking about?" Bruce asks, he's in the same state of shock like me.

"I know it's sudden, especially since things have been crazy for the past few months," Clark begins, but my heart has a tough time listening to him. "And since this woman's been with me through it all, I'm ready for a real marriage with someone who knows me as Clark, and Superman. I want to be with this woman till the day I die, maybe even after, I don't necessarily know what happens after I die."

"Who is it?" I ask, interrupting his rambling.

"Diana," Clark reveals, but his smile disappears the moment he sees me frowning. "I know I should have told you sooner, Anya. But…I didn't plan for any of this. Diana has always been there, you know? When I'm with her, I can be…vulnerable, afraid, and…human. But when she needs me to be Superman, I can be that. But just because I'm getting married doesn't mean I'll be far away from you and forget you. You'll always be important to me."

I know what he's saying is true, yet for some reason, I don't want to believe in any of it.

"As a matter of fact, I want you to be in the wedding," Clark says.

"I'm not going to be a flower girl," I snap. Does he really think I'll be one? I'm too old for it!

"No, Diana and I want you to be a bridesmaid, along with Jessie, Kara, Donna, and Shayera is going to be her maid of honor. I want Bruce to be my best man, and I want Barry, John, Conner, and Jon to be my groomsmen. Martian Manhunter is going to be the officiant, and it'll all be fun," Clark explains, and pauses when a grin comes to his face. "We want to have it here!"

"What?" Bruce demands.

"We want the wedding to be here! It's perfect! The backyard looks like something from a movie!"

Clark flies up and heads to the backyard where Bruce runs after him.

How in the world do I feel like I lost two people in just one day?

I lost Clark.

I lost Bruce.

So, the secret had nothing to do with me. A breeze pushes my strand of hair back to my cheek, it sticks to my cheek because I can't stop the tears from falling.


End file.
